ECE News Story

Sikorsky Invests in Next Generation of Helicopter Engineers

Sikorsky Invests in Next Generation of Helicopter Engineers

Sikorsky Aircraft, a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture and service headquartered in Connecticut, is partnering with the Clark School to develop the next generation of helicopter engineers.

Sikorsky has donated $110,000 in 2011 in support of programs for Clark School students, including two new scholarships, a fellowship for graduate students, and the establishment of the Sikorsky Aircraft Colloquium Series in Aerospace Engineering. Sikorsky is also a Clark School Corporate Partner. Through this program, Sikorsky provides further scholarship funds and support for student programs.

“Over many years, Clark School students have proven themselves to be just the kind of innovative thinkers who are most successful at Sikorsky,” said Mark Miller, Sikorsky’s vice president of research and engineering. “We have decided to make significant investments to create closer ties with top Clark School talent and expand our pipeline of interns, co-ops, and full-time employees.”

The Clark School is home to one of the nation’s leading programs in helicopter engineering. Clark School students earlier this year set U.S. records for the flight duration of a human-powered helicopter, and won the American Helicopter Society’s graduate student design competition for the tenth time in 13 years.

The Sikorsky Scholarship of $5,000 is awarded to one student in each of the Clark School’s aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical and computer engineering departments. This year, Beserat Debebe, Jennifer King and John Calderone were selected for these prestigious awards. The Sikorsky Endowed Scholarship, administered by the Clark School’s Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering, is open to undergraduates in the same departments. Scholarships of up to $3,000 each can be awarded for the first time next year.

Sikorsky also awards $1,000 scholarships through its participation in the Corporate Partner program. This year, scholarships were awarded to Nicole Anderson, William Dean, Zachary Felder, Jaclyn Rupert, and Danielle Wilmot.

The Sikorsky Fellowship, with a value of $10,000, is awarded to a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical, electrical, computer, or aerospace engineering. Timothy Fitzgerald, a mechanical engineering graduate student, was awarded the Sikorsky Fellowship in 2011.

“For many years, Clark School faculty members and students have developed close ties to Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, and many graduates have gone on to leadership roles in the company,” said Clark School Dean Darryll Pines. “We collaborate on research, and are exploring ways to provide educational services to Sikorsky employees in strategic areas. We are especially grateful for Sikorsky’s generous support of our educational programs and our talented students, and are delighted to welcome Sikorsky to our family of Corporate Partners.”

The Sikorsky Aircraft Colloquium launched this spring and has featured four distinguished speakers. In the spring of 2012, the series will feature speakers who have worked on autonomous vehicles and the S97 Raider, the commercial model of the Collier Prize-winning X2 Demonstrator.